It is desirable for many home shop applications such as for home woodworking to temporarily convert a hand-held power tool to a bench-mounted tool. For example, a hand-held router or jigsaw may be bench mounted to permit greater accuracy and speed of use. It may also be desirable to mount other types of tools to a bench, for the same purpose.
Within the prior art, several such mounting devices have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,065 (Stark) discloses a holder for engaging a router to a workbench clamp or the like, comprising a plate having a central slot to receive the router. The base plate of the router is provided with a corresponding mounting member that mounts to the holder by way of special mounting rods. This device requires the router be supplied with a face plate having a pair of rods that mates with the holder, and is not suitable for use with tools that are not specifically adapted for the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,038 (Tucker et al) discloses a router plate incorporated within a table top, and having a circular opening to receive a router. The router is equipped with a corresponding disc-shaped plate for releasable mounting within the table top.
It is desirable to provide a mounting apparatus that may be readily adapted to receive a variety of hand held power tools, without any special modification to the tools. A further need is to provide a mount that easily attaches and detaches from a hand tool, but which still firmly engages the tool.
Conveniently, the mounting jig may be readily clamped to a conventional workbench. In one type of conventional work bench, commonly found in home hobby shops, the bench top comprises a pair of separable plates that combine the functions of a clamp and work surface. One such work bench is sold under the brand name "Black & Decker Work Mate" (TM). Conveniently, a power tool mounting jig includes a member that may be clamped between the separable parts of a Work Mate type tool bench or other clamping mechanism for fixedly mounting the power tool.
Conveniently, a tool mounting jig of the type represented by the present invention also converts directly into a workbench, to provide the user with a work surface having selectively a router bit, jigsaw blade or other power tool member extending through the surface, depending on the mounting configuration selected. A conventional hand-held router includes a generally circular faceplate for contacting the wood surface. Conveniently, a mount may be provided that clampingly engages this circular plate and incorporates this plate within a larger work surface, which also conveniently includes mounts for a guide fence and other workplace guides.
The mounting jig of the type represented by the present invention is specifically intended for use with a power tool that incorporates a face plate for contacting a board or other workpiece. Tools of this type are intended to glide along a board surface while performing an operation such as cutting or gouging. The present type of jig permits a tool to be held in place while a workpiece is moved against the tool. This will permit greater accuracy in certain applications.